Event Tourism Firmly on Government Agenda

Momentum continues to gather for this year’s Britain for Events campaign. Following its launch last month, the UK events industry has already secured major wins this week (w/c 2.11.11) from senior government representatives.

Following official endorsement of the campaign from Prime Minister David Cameron, Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, spoke at the opening of World Travel Market this week on next year’s “World Tourism Summit coming together to discuss the power of events" and "new ways of looking at event tourism in the future".

These statements continue momentum for the UK’s vibrant events industry and follow endorsement for the Britain for Events campaign from John Penrose MP, Minister of Tourism and Nick de Bois MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Events (APPG). Furthermore, there will be an increased injection of resource for the industry with business tourism identified as one of the areas that will benefit from VisitEngland’s successful bid for £19.8 million Regional Growth Fund announced earlier this month.

“Event tourism is now firmly on the government agenda,” comments Michael Hirst, Chair of the Business Visits & Events Partnership and campaign coordinator for Britain for Events. “It is fitting that these developments have all taken place in the lead up to, and during one of the UKs seminal tourism events and goes to demonstrate the growing role both business and leisure events play in the UK tourism.”